The beginning of 2014 is an important time for college and college-bound students. Why?

Because it marks the start of “Financial Aid Season”, when schools, scholarship organizations, and financial aid programs begin  reviewing applicants for the upcoming academic year.

If you want to give yourself edge in the hunt for financial aid, these are the most essential to-do’s to help you pay for college.

File your and/or your parent’s taxes

Why it matters: There are numerous financial aid forms (including those listed below) which ask students and parents alike to report their annual income. Institutions that award financial aid factor in your and your parents incomes and assets when calculating how much aid to provide a student. Being able to report the most accurate, up to date information will allow providers to award an amount based on your current financial standing.

Where to do it: There are plenty of tax-preparing services and do-it-yourself programs to get the job done. But before you (or your parents) get started, make sure to check to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website for specific details on the process.

When to do it by: Ideally, you’ll want to file your taxes as soon as possible for the 2013 calendar year. January 31, 2014 is the deadline for employers to provide their employees with a Form W-2 (the form that lists one’s annual income); April 15, 2014 is the deadline for an individual to file their taxes for the 2013 calendar year.

Complete the FAFSA

Why it matters: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a form for college students used by the U.S. Department of Education to determine a student’s financial aid eligibility. By submitting a FAFSA a student is applying for federal financial aid, rather than aid that is provided by a school or third-party organization.

Where to do it: You can submit your FAFSA through its official website (be careful of fakes that try to charge you for their “service”)…the sooner you file your FAFSA the better.

When to do it by: The FAFSA for the 2014-2015 school year became available on January 1, 2014.

Submit a CSS Profile

Why it matters: The College Scholarship Service Profile (CSS Profile) is a financial aid application provided by College Board (the folks at SAT). Unlike the FAFSA, it’s sent directly to schools and scholarship programs to determine how much of the school’s “personal money” / financial aid it awards a student.

Where to do it: You can register for a CSS Profile at its official website.

When to do it by: You can complete a CSS Profile for the Fall 2014 or Spring 2015 semester immediately. Keep in mind however that there are only certain schools and scholarship programs that accept the CSS Profile. In addition, there is also a fee to submit each Profile to a school, but depending on your family’s financial situation you may qualify for a fee waiver.

Search for online scholarships

Why it matters: Scholarships are “free money” and will offset college costs in many different forms: tuition, textbooks, school supplies, practically anything directly associated to your college education…and, there are scholarships available for students of all backgrounds and interests.

Where to do it: There are a number of good scholarship searches, e.g.: akcis.org, fastweb.com, bigfuture.com, Zinch.com, etc.  The important thing to remember is: if the site has ads for schools and scholarships on it then it probably isn’t as legitimate.

When to do it by: Start searching early in the game; your junior year is about the latest you want to begin. Very important: scholarships have applications and applications have deadlines…. don’t miss the deadlines, there are no “do-overs.”

Apply for local scholarships

Why it matters: Regional money is often offered by local businesses, non-profit organizations, and charitable individuals; these scholarships usually are just for those living in the area and the applicant pool can be much smaller compared to national scholarships.

Where to do it: Check with your counselor or administrative office to see if there is a scholarship program offered at your school. Often times there will be a main application available for you to submit to your school, which is then sent to local scholarship providers for review.

When to do it by: Individual scholarship dates will vary, but there will usually be a cut off for the main scholarship application to be submitted to your school.